Improvement in street-indicators for city cars



UNITEDA STATESr PATENT FFICE.

VILLIAM BIi-OYVN, OF'DUNOANNON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDSAMUEL NOSS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-INDICATORS FOR CITY CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 107,440, datedSeptember 20, 1870 antcdated September 14, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BROWN, of Duncannon, in the county of Perryand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Street-GarSignal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, making a part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is afront elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the box end beingremoved.

This invention has for its object to enable conductors to show insidestreet-cars a label bearing the name of the street the car is runningon, and at every corner a label bearing the name of the street about tobe crossed, for the purpose of saving the conductors the trouble ofmaking, and the passengers the difficulty often experienced ofunderstanding, ver# bal announcements.

To this end the invention consists of a cylinder to be placed within thecar, and provided with any suitable mechanism through which it may berotated by the conductor on turning a crank outside the car, and bearingthe required number of rectangular plates hinged at one side, lengthwiseof the cylinder, which plates are inscribed on one side with the name ofthe street along which the car is proceeding, each plate having on itsother side the name of one of the intersecting streets, which theconductor exposes to view by turning the crank j ust-before reaching thecrossing.

In the drawing, A is the cylinder, having at each end a projectingiiange, a. I) b, Sto., are the rectangular plates, each provided with awire placed along one edge, whose ends project into holes made in acircular series in each ilange a. By this arrangement the plates arehinged to the cylinder, and they lie one upon another in an inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, until, owing to the rotation of thecylinder, they turn downward on their trunnions by their own gravity atthe front of the inclosing-box and hang reversed. Previous to suchrevolution each plate shows the same iuscription, as, for example, Ninthand. On its opposite side each plate bears the name of one of theintersecting streets, and it is the business of the conductor to causethe fall of each plate just before or immediately upon crossing thestreet whose name it exhibits.v A bell may be connected with themechanism, as shown in Fig. 2, in such amanner as to call attention toeach fall of a plate. This mechanism, therefore, always indicatesclearly to each passenger what street he is traversing and what one heis just crossing or has just crossed. Each plate as it falls hides theone on which it lies, so that there is never exposed to view the name otmore than one intersecting street at once.

The mechanism is operated by a circular rack, c, attached to one end ofthe cylinder A, and a screw, d, meshing with the rack on the shaft B,which projects outside the car, and is furnished with a crank, B', forthe conductor to take hold of.

The apparatus is inclosed in a box having an opening at one side,through which the plates may be read.

Having thus described my invention, lwhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A revolving cylinder having a number of plates hinged upon itsexterior, said plates being so arranged as to turn over bytheir ownweight on passing a certain point when the cylinder is rotated, thusdisplaying in succession the names of streets, &c., inscribed upon them,substantially in the manner described.

2. The combination of the cylinder A,hinged plates b, circular rack c,screw d, and shaft B, all constructed and operating substantially as setforth.

WM. BROWN.

Titnesses GHAs. J. LEHMAN, E. C. IRVIN.

